Monday, December 3, 2012

Grit Fritters

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I was recently in Atlanta for a quick trip and was able to have dinner with some dear friends including my old roomie, Will Beasley.

I have mentioned Will before in a number of my posts including the bacon wrapped shrimp and his "Sausage Party"dip. The two of us have been cooking together for almost a decade and it only gets more entertaining with time.

We were quite the team in the kitchen when we lived together. Both loving to try new recipes, most great successes, but some hysterical follies. We would laugh, grab a beer, sit on the counters and figure out what we were doing in life, and sometimes what life was doing to us.

Being back in the kitchen with Will was like coming home again.

Some friends just never skip a beat and it is like you move in unison, you skip the small talk and go right into what means the most and in the end find yourself several bottles of wine deep with not a world problem unsolved...at least until the morning when the biggest concern is how long will it take the coffee to brew!

For this most recent meal Will said he was going to try to make some grit fritters....deep frying grits? Yes please!

They turned out even better than I could have imagined if that was even possible!

Will's Grit Fritters

1 c. of stone ground grits

4 c. liquid (I did 1 c. half & half and 3 c. water)

Pinch of salt (to taste)

10 oz. boursin and/or cream cheese

Flour

Eggs/Milk for eggwash

Panko Bread Crumbs

Vegetable Oil for frying

Cook grits according to instructions. I wouldn't recommend doing more cream than the 1 to 3 proportions above because they're hard to form into balls for frying if they're too creamy. For this reason, I also wouldn't add too much butter to grits, if any. (Normally, if I were just making grits, butter would be imperative). Once grits are cooked, remove from heat but while still hot, stir in the boursin and/or cream cheese (I used shallot and chive boursin and because I didn't want the fritters to be too herby, I used one 5.2 oz. wheel of that and then half a block of cream cheese).

Once grits and cheese are fully incorporated, cool the grits completely. Use the refrigerator or freezer if you're running short on time, but the grits need to be completely cooled and somewhat solidified for rolling into balls. Begin to heat oil in heavy pot or dutch oven (cast iron preferable) to approximately 375 degrees.

Once cooled enough, roll small handful of grits into small balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Set aside until ready to start battering.

Dip grits fritters into the following: flour, then egg wash, then panko breadcrumbs. Fry in batches until golden brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Remove from pot with slotted spoon and drain over wire rack and paper towels.

Once drained of excess oil and cool enough to handle, serve with dipping sauce of your choice. We served some with a sriracha mayonaise and others drizzled with honey. Both were excellent.

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